Kitty Hawk (CV 63) - Naval Cruise Book

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Continuing A Proud Heritage The aircraft carrier USS KITTY HAWK is the second U. S. Navy ship to bear the name of the small North Caroli- na town near which Wilbur and Orville Wright flew the first heavier-than-air manned aircraft on December 17, 1903. Aviation has come a long way Si11C6 that eventful day. Nine such 12-second, 120- foot flights would be required to travel from the bow to the stern of today's USS KITTY HAWK. The first Navy ship to bear the name was a 498-foot aircraft transport used in World War II. Built in 1932 as a commer- cial ship, she was acquired by the Navy in 1941 and modified to transport air- craft. She was decommissioned in 1945 and returned to her peacetime role. Today's KITTY HAWK was con- structed by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation at Camden, New Jersey. Launched on May 21, 1960, she was com- missioned April 29, 1961. Carrying an air wing of more than 85 aircraft, the 80,000 ton ship of over 1,065 feet in length has a complement of more than 5,000efficers and men. g I ' In 1961, KITTY HAWK cruised around South America to her new home port of San Diego. There she prepared for her first Vwlestem Pacific deployment, which began in September 1962. During the next io years, KITTY HAWK and Air.Wing ELEVEN completed six Viet- nam conflictlgcombat cruises, winning one Presidential Unit Citation, four Navy Unit Commendations, a Meritori- ous Unit Commendation and many oth- er awards. A In 1973 and 1975, KITTY HAWK and her air wing again deployed to the West- ern Pacific, participating in many Sev- enth Fleet exercises to maintain oper ational readiness. The 1973 cruise in cluded a 68-day Indian Ocean stint. Early in IVIarCl1 1976, KITTY HAWK began a year-long overhaul during which exten- sive modernization and modifigation completed her conversion from an attack carrier to a general purpose carrier. Key changes enabled KITTY HAWK to oper- ate the Navy's new F-14 Tomcat fight- er and S-3 'V1king anti-submarine air- craft. 'WC x-niifk a 2 .1 I I.- S 4 'N-sl ,pail g ,L ...C-so b affmld' o' Q-0'

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4 f ,gn D - ,Pw ' Dreams Of H1 ht I l X A l l . , , W 1 3 2 l'+'4sll S il ,,, A l .1-'F' :E his 39' 213-5 4-il an-' n. N- any 'S . ' L .ang ,Jkt , an lu-t ' PM A he-Q 4. V fr .al-awk. '. 'ull' a- , T., ' If at Q, ' ' 5 V ,- my A t kv or Q f No .noner had man learna to walk than he yearned to fly. He envied the f-wsedom of the birds, soaring through the clear blue sky, unbound by the chains of Earth's gravity. For countless years man tried to break his bonds, to fly with the birds, always unsuccessfully. Finally two young men from Day- ton, Ohio, Wilbur and Orville Wright brought a flimsy craft to the wind-swept beaches of North Carolina. Their flight, though rela- tively short, was the first big step in man's reach for the heavens, and beyond. The Wright Brothers' suc- cess made Kitty Hawk . . . First in Flight. -ui si 4 s

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BP! .J Qi , I I .9 . ' ' c S-A05 T WQQ VT' ik'-A.. -.xr 4 HLP-3 -me nv mwur v .ut v -fr-1.1-.,ict.v - fs Xi QMS 1 -sseq., ,5-use K X if 'I In October 1977, KITTY HAWK and Air Wing ELEVEN began their last Western Pacific deployment together, re- turning to San Diego almost seven months later. On july 1, 1978 KITTY HAWK welcomed Air Wing FIFTEEN and began preparations for her next cruise. On May 30, 1979, KITTY HAWK and Air Wing FIFTEEN left San Diego for the Eastern Pacific. This scheduled May to December deployment, which includ- ed Indochina refugee search and assis- tance operations and Korea contingency operations, was extended for two months by Arabian Sea readiness operations in response to the Iranian crisis. The ship and air wing were awarded the Navy Ex- peditionary medal for this 74-day period. After nine months, KITTY HAWK re- turned to San Diego on February 25, 1980. In july, she was awarded the Battle Efficiency E and Meritorious Unit Ci- tation. On April 1, 1981, KITTY HAWK and her embarked Air Wing PIFTEEN left San Diego for her 13th deployment to the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. The ship and air wing were awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal and Humani- tarian Service Medal for the rescue of Vietnamese Boat People in the South China Sea. In January 1982, KITTY HAWK trav- eled to Bremerton, Washington, for a year-long comprehensive overhaul that was completed in January 1983. After a vigorous work-up period, KIT- TY HAWK deployed as the flagship for Battle Group Bravo. During Exercise Team Spirit '8-4 she was struck by a submerged Victor class submarine in the Sea of japan, forcing the submarine to be towed back to her home port. KIT- TY HAWK logged over 62,000 miles on the deployment, which included a two- month-plus on station period in the North Arabian Sea. She steamed into home port San Diego on August 1, 1984. KITTY HAWK was presented the Marjorie Sterett Battleship Fund Award rn December' 1984 In March 1985, KIT- TN' IIAWIK was presented the Battle Effi- cieruy II' as the best carrier rn the Pa- .artrr I leer. The award was tor the grading period through Decenrber 1984